Brazilian made iPads to ship in December, production already started

According to a report by Brazilian technology website UOL, the Brazilian Minister of Science and Technology, Aolizio Mercadante, has confirmed that the new Foxconn factory in Jundiai is up and running. The iPad 2 production line is in operation and they will begin shipping this December.

At first many doubted, but it will be the first time that the company will produce iPads outside Chinese territory. We are taking a big step for digital inclusion in the country,” he said. Mercadante also said that the federal government will announce in the coming days to invest in a big factory of games in the Manaus Free Zone.

Originally the factory was scheduled to start production in late August / early September so it appears that the time frame was spot on. Foxconn has apparently sent over 175 engineers from China to assist with the smooth running of the iPad 2 production process.

Apple could be making iPads in the US and I bet people would be glad to pay a little more for the "made in the USA" tag.
Anyway, is this factory going to start shipping iPad2s three or four months before Apple releases iPad3? Does this makes sense?
Anyway, Mercadante is famous for being economical with the truth.

smart.
the long term trade relationship between the united states and China is increasingly unclear, and there is a possibility - however remote - of increasing tariffs on trade with China in order to create government revenue. smart for Foxconn too, for the same reason.
what isn't a remote possibility is that as oil prices steadily increase, shipping costs from China will likewise increase. need to do some research on this but i'm guessing shipping from Brazil to North america and Western Europe has the potential to be significantly less expensive than shipping from China.